Around the League - Stanley Cup Edition

[Stephen]

Verhaeghe was a darkhorse prospect before our big rebuild and was thrown out like the baby with the bathwater when Lamoriello got here. Had he been kept, his path to the Leafs roster would have been a long and winding one like a Josh Leivo and there aren't any guarantees he would have gotten the right development that he eventually got with the Islanders, Lightning, etc.

Marchment is not nearly the same player as Verhaeghe but keeping him around a little longer would have made sense. But who knows, maybe we give Malgin another shot like a Euro free agent and see how he does in 2022.

 

[Gallagbi]

Verhaeghe was a darkhorse prospect before our big rebuild and was thrown out like the baby with the bathwater when Lamoriello got here. Had he been kept, his path to the Leafs roster would have been a long and winding one like a Josh Leivo and there aren't any guarantees he would have gotten the right development that he eventually got with the Islanders, Lightning, etc.

Marchment is not nearly the same player as Verhaeghe but keeping him around a little longer would have made sense. But who knows, maybe we give Malgin another shot like a Euro free agent and see how he does in 2022.

Thing with Verhaeghe is that he went through multiple development systems and organizations before catching on. I'm less concerned with him than Marchment, who just felt like a guy we moved to play more and get a new opportunity.

 

[Menzinger]

Verhaeghe was a darkhorse prospect before our big rebuild and was thrown out like the baby with the bathwater when Lamoriello got here. Had he been kept, his path to the Leafs roster would have been a long and winding one like a Josh Leivo and there aren't any guarantees he would have gotten the right development that he eventually got with the Islanders, Lightning, etc.

Marchment is not nearly the same player as Verhaeghe but keeping him around a little longer would have made sense. But who knows, maybe we give Malgin another shot like a Euro free agent and see how he does in 2022.

At the end of the day though neither guy would be in the Leafs top 9 based on merit. And likely wouldn't take over any of the vets on the 4th line

So it's a mute point. Either guy would have been better than say Vesey or Barbanov earlier in the year for depth options. But guys like Adam Brooks can't even get icetime this playoffs

 

[Stephen]

Thing with Verhaeghe is that he went through multiple development systems and organizations before catching on. I'm less concerned with him than Marchment, who just felt like a guy we moved to play more and get a new opportunity.

I don't necessarily fully agree with the Leafs peace and love and give a guy a chance mentality. Situation still has to be right for the organization to get some value when moving on from these guys. Using Uncle Lou as an example you can look at guys like Sergei Brylin, Jay Pandolfo and Scott Pellerin who were long time tweeners but New Jersey never moved them because they were useful depth players. If a guy is good and can play elsewhere, you have to get something of value back to set them free. My preference would be draft picks.

 

[Stephen]

At the end of the day though neither guy would be in the Leafs top 9 based on merit. And likely wouldn't take over any of the vets on the 4th line

So it's a mute point. Either guy would have been better than say Vesey or Barbanov earlier in the year for depth options. But guys like Adam Brooks can't even get icetime this playoffs

Vesey, Barabanov and Galchenyuk are similar reclamations to guys like Verhaeghe, so no real loss, but it still kinda sucks to see. Realistically, Toronto probably wouldn't have developed him in the system for 6-7 years.

 

[Menzinger]

Oilers keep changing management, keep wasting those prime McDavid years

 

[Gallagbi]

I don't necessarily fully agree with the Leafs peace and love and give a guy a chance mentality. Situation still has to be right for the organization to get some value when moving on from these guys. Using Uncle Lou as an example you can look at guys like Sergei Brylin, Jay Pandolfo and Scott Pellerin who were long time tweeners but New Jersey never moved them because they were useful depth players. If a guy is good and can play elsewhere, you have to get something of value back to set them free. My preference would be draft picks.

Im with you on the draft picks piece, but aside from that I don't mind moving on from guys down our depth charts. Typically we can a decent amount of players interested in coming here, so we're a able to find similar talent. Plus giving others an opportunities helps elevate you as an option for tweeners.

 

[GBLeaf]

Oilers keep changing management, keep wasting those prime McDavid years

5yrs a long time away, but right now, you'd lay good money on him walking at the end of his contract.

 

[Gallagbi]

Oilers keep changing management, keep wasting those prime McDavid years

They probably could have shuffled some extra chairs on the deck, but I wouldn't have gone all in with that roster. They don't have a middle 6 or a bottom 4 on D, plus they were riding an aging middle tier goalie.

Don't forget they only had a 1st, 4th, 2x6th and 7th rounder this year. The 2nd, 3rd and 5th were dealt in 2019/2020.

I do think they should have been in on Mantha though, he would have added some long-term depth scoring in their top 6

 

[Menzinger]

They probably could have shuffled some extra chairs on the deck, but I wouldn't have gone all in with that roster. They don't have a middle 6 or a bottom 4 on D, plus they were riding an aging middle tier goalie.

Don't forget they only had a 1st, 4th, 2x6th and 7th rounder this year. The 2nd, 3rd and 5th were dealt in 2019/2020.

I do think they should have been in on Mantha though, he would have added some long-term depth scoring in their top 6

Onnkne level I get thst. But they just had a player put up one of the best seasons in recent NHL history I just don't see what they get from coasting for the year.

 

[Stephen]

Oilers keep changing management, keep wasting those prime McDavid years

We can pitch McDavid with the Alex Galchenyuk program...

I feel like Edmonton constantly downgrading themselves after mediocre performances is a bit disingenuous. They keep saying they have no NHL depth but they do have a group of guys who were fairly competitive against the Leafs throughout the regular season, always playing scrappy. Archibald and Yamamoto were two very noticeably irritating playoff-rat performers. Puljujarvi is emerging a little bit as a supporting scoring option. RHN is at least at a Kadri level if not much softer. Their D is fine. Mike Smith is beatable but can give them big saves and keep them in games. Are they a great team? No. But if their Big 2 had adequate playoff games they wouldn't be in danger of getting swept.

 

[Menzinger]

We can pitch McDavid with the Alex Galchenyuk program...

I feel like Edmonton constantly downgrading themselves after mediocre performances is a bit disingenuous. They keep saying they have no NHL depth but they do have a group of guys who were fairly competitive against the Leafs throughout the regular season, always playing scrappy. Archibald and Yamamoto were two very noticeably irritating playoff-rat performers. Puljujarvi is emerging a little bit as a supporting scoring option. RHN is at least at a Kadri level if not much softer. Their D is fine. Mike Smith is beatable but can give them big saves and keep them in games. Are they a great team? No. But if their Big 2 had adequate playoff games they wouldn't be in danger of getting swept.

They'd probably be better off trading their next 3 or 4 years worth of 1sts and 2nds for as many impact players as possible.

The odds of any of those draft picks becoming full on major impact players while McDavid is on his current contract are close to zero

They have McDavid locked up for what will be the best years of his career. They can't waste that.

 

[Antropovsky]

Oilers keep changing management, keep wasting those prime McDavid years

The Oilers drop of in talent after like 5 players is massive. Goes from 1st line to waiver caliber quickly.

 

[Stephen]

They'd probably be better off trading their next 3 or 4 years worth of 1sts and 2nds for as many impact players as possible.

The odds of any of those draft picks becoming full on major impact players while McDavid is on his current contract are close to zero

They have McDavid locked up for what will be the best years of his career. They can't waste that.

I agree. The McDavid-Edmonton partnership is wasting time. That said, I'm putting some blame on McDavid (and Draisaitl) as well because when I watch him out there it doesn't feel like the Oilers are getting a Mackinnon/Kucherov level performance in the playoffs when the competition gets dialed up. Just doesn't always feel like it's their supporting cast letting them down. They set the bar nice and high by torching teams in the regular season but come playoff time they're just not doing it.

 

[3blizzard4]

They'd probably be better off trading their next 3 or 4 years worth of 1sts and 2nds for as many impact players as possible.

The odds of any of those draft picks becoming full on major impact players while McDavid is on his current contract are close to zero

They have McDavid locked up for what will be the best years of his career. They can't waste that.

And even after they do that ITS HARD AS HELL TO WIN. Because all the other teams are trying just as hard.

Edmonton has done crap all to ice a decent team around McDavid. They have bad contracts. Their backup makes 4 mil a year. They starter is 40 years old.

it’s first overall after first overalls. Down the drain.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

Do I cheer for a prolonged series with bumps and bruises for the Jets or a sweep for the LOLs?

 

[willmma]

The Oilers look mentally defeated

 

[Le Cobra]

When does McDavid join Matthews and Marner on the Leafs roster realistically?

 

[Steven1562]

When does McDavid join Matthews and Marner on the Leafs roster realistically?

Trade Nylander and multiple firsts. A Marner-Matthews-Mcdavid line would be unstoppable.

 

[Stephen]

Do I cheer for a prolonged series with bumps and bruises for the Jets or a sweep for the LOLs?

I’m cheering for enough of a pushback from Edmonton to cause a crisis in confidence for the Jets and enough bumps and bruises to keep pace with Toronto’s.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Loilers

 

[fahad203]

Would love to see Winnipeg put Oilers out of their misery.

All those years of tanking, getting grade A players only to be a joke

 

[Stephen]

People talk about how McDavid deserves better around him but once again he’s on the ice for 2 goals against fresh off of coughing up the puck for the 4-4 tie less than 24 hours ago. Lost in all his offensive brilliance is a very under developed 200 foot game.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

Watching the Oilers play like the utter trash they are with all their loud mouth fans crying brings me such a sense of sadistic pleasure. Here’s to another decade of them being garbage.

 

[Guided by Veseys]

Holland was right though. There weren’t any trade deadline players that could be added to be a big difference. The team is obviously flawed beyond a quick fix, trading for Hall or Savard or anybody else would have been a waste of assets. It’s not like they suddenly would have been good if they traded a second for Eric Staal.